Marco Rea -lowbrow pop surrealism

Marco Rea is now living and working in Rome. Currently he is one of the most representative artist of Italian lowbrow\pop surrealism. His art pieces are made with spray cans and they are the result of the reinterpretation of already existing images; billboards are careful altered until they only just resemble their original form, showing like that of a secret soul, dark and melancholic. Marco Rea’s art express an emotional personality, in constant excitement, always aiming to seek its perfection.Faces are loosing the shape of reality and they materialize into the void. Just like under hypnosis, they will catch your attention and will transmit a vague sense of anxiety. His artistic production travels on parallel lines, the world of Pop Surrealism and Urban Art, and introduces a new original and unmistakable style. It’s a unique piece in the contemporary Italian art.

Has it always been a dream of yours to become an artist?

No, it has never been a dream because I’ve always seen my self as an artist; since I was a kid I loved painting and creating, I don’t think I could do anything else but that. To be honest my dream is to see my art pieces on art history books as if I could live forever through my art.

Which artistic wave inspired or affected you the most?

I’ve always been inspired by the expressionism and in some parts by the surrealism and the Viennese actionism. In particular by artists such as Egon Schiele e Francis Bacon and so many more. Inspiration is all around me and perpetual.

In your works we only see women, purified in a deconstructing way, does it have to do with your relationship with women, in general?

I love women and they are a big source of inspiration. I find a greater expression in the feminine form and I believe they are able to communicate more than men. I am not attracted by an obvious beauty, I much more appreciate a beauty featured with tiny imperfections and details. This is why I always try to mutate those perfect anonymous figures that we often see in advertisement into something imperfect and as this more interesting.

Some of your artworks are fashion photographs transformed into paintings. What was the idea of using such a commercial industry as fashion?

We are constantly surrounded by advertisement and billboards, It felt normal for me to use such a familiar and invading tool and turn it into something unique and personal.

How would you describe your art in a few words?

Melancholic, expressive, passionate, true and free.

What’s the biggest difficulty in working between abstraction and an already existing photography?

The biggest difficulty is to keep a balance between the two things, it’s a fight between abstraction and figurative. Sometimes | swing between one and another. I find it fascinating to push abstraction to its limits but to make sure at the same time that whoever looks at it, could somehow glimpse a face or an human figure.

What are your future plans concerning your art, and what should we expect?

I don’t know the future of my art, I am very curious to find out. In the mean time I keep on creating. Concerning my exhibitions, I am working on an important solo show in Rome and a group show in San Francisco along with the big important names from the world wide art scene. Stay tuned…